Home forums discussions audio hardware 8track vs cassette which sounds better. A huge treasure trove of music and other audio content is available in this format, and you may even have your own collection. Sure cylinder records cost a lot more to produce than an mp3, but in the 1960s1970s labels needed to produce albums on reel to reel, 8. Stereo 8 track cassette cadrige inside play innenleben in betrieb. David bowie the world of david bowie 8 track casse. History of vinyl records, cassettes, cds, 8 track tapes. What is it about vinyl records that gives them such good sound quality. Record to 8 track tape vs 8 daw outputs to 8 track tape. After a brief moment of popularity, the cassette was replaced by the cd and then itunes and mp3s. But i thought the actual track width was the same in both formats basically 2 per track. The chunky tape cartridges were perfect for slotting into the broad. Also over 400 of their titles are available for digital download on and can be linked to through the books on tape site.
Apr 11, 2014 8 track tapes were originated as a plugin medium for prerecorded music mostly for car indash or aftermarket underdash players. Even within the united states, opinions on the merits of 8 track tapes versus vinyl or cassette tapes varied, with some finding the larger and more cumbersome 8 tracks to be inferior to the more compact cassette tapes. A modern cassette plays has more space and plays more tracks like 16 or whatever. A brief history and memories of 8 track tape and player. Whether you want to be reminded of the old days or just want to discover a living relic, these tapes are a great way to do so. Books on tape thousands of audio books on cassette, cd. Music goes mobile with 8track tapes by best classic.
Unlike the more common cassette tape, and the bifurcated vinyl lp, the 8track featured four programs, not two sides. A brief history of 8 track tapes and the automobile hi folks i never had an 8 track player maybe just too poor when they came out, or maybe not interested in tunes at the time, or maybe i went directly to the cassette, but in any case i certainly missed a major cultural event. In contrast to the record, the 8 track became popular for its portability, but was eventually succeeded by the cassette tape. A brief history and memories of 8 track tape and player duration. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Althoughextremely similar in appearance the only obviousdifference between the two being a large. Lately ive been seeing that a lot of my local record stores have used cassette tape sections that i see people actually perusing and buying from. Playtape black road 2 pack of road car tape great for kids, sticker roll for cars track and train sets, stick to floors and walls, quick cleanup, children toys birthday gift 30x2 2 rolls, black. Dec 25, 2017 the 8track wasnt better than the muntz 4track stereopak. As implied in mission impossible, an incar reeltoreel tape player was never really an. Whats the difference between a cassette and an eight track. The 8track tape is a magnetictape soundrecording technology that was popular in the united states from the mid1960s to the early 1980s, when the compact. You can buy cassette tapes off amazon that have low noise.
When music went mobile with 8track tapes best classic bands. The history of the audio cassette, a timeline legacybox. We can convert your 8 track tapes to cd and preserve them for a lifetime. Anyhow i have an akai x 2000s that has reel to reel,cassette, and 8 track and just got it going the other day. The 60s and 70s brought on another audio format war in the form of the 8 track vs. Due to the inherent and unavoidable head alignment issues for 8 track, cassette has always been superior if the headcapstanalignment system was of high quality. Eighttrack tapes will forever have a place in music history. Its uses ranged from portable audio to home recording to data storage for early microcomputers. A shelf for cds would be awesome made out of 8 tracks. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. The audio cassette, better known as the compact cassette, was a marvel of modern science with its introduction in 1968. At their release, cassette tapes were initially use. Eight track tapes will forever have a place in music history.
By 1980, 8track tapes were obsolete thanks to the much cheaper, more reliable cassette tape. The 8track tape is a magnetictape soundrecording technology that was popular in the united. Record to 8 track tape vs 8 daw outputs to 8 track tape i can see that without actually printing to the tape reel, this isnt the best way to do it. Anyone who has visited a garage sale has likely seen boxes full of 8track tapes. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your first box. Playtape black road 2 pack of road car tape great for kids, sticker roll for cars track and train sets, stick to floors and walls, quick cleanup, children toys birthday gift 30x2. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The invention of the cassette tape allowed people to make recordings without having the level of training or expertise required for reeltoreel. Vinyl discussion the primary form of recorded music during my childhood was cassette tapes, but i havent listened to a tape in something like 25 years. During the early 1960s, a number of shellencased continuousloop audiotape systems coexisted. A essentially cassette tape but older and larger, of course, that plays only 8 tracks.
But in practice, 8track cassettes and players would have a number of mostly mechanical problems. A brief history and memories of 8track tape and player. Aes historical committee audio engineering history. A tape head in the tape player or deck, in contact with an exposed portion of the tape, interprets an analog signal from the tapes magnetic surface. When ford motor company began to offer 8track decks in its 1966 model cars. Cassette has 4 tracks, 2channels in each of the 2 directions. I have about 300 8 tracks, though have not listened to one in about 20 years, and reintroduced myself to the format. Nov 19, 2008 14 tape some reel to reel and 8 track tapes 1 8 cassettes but then you get into the issue of 8 track design and implementation. There were even rumors it would completely replace the vinyl record. The 8 track was a popular form of cassette recording in the united states. Discussion in audio hardware started by baba oh really, nov 19, 2008. But eighttracks enjoyed a following from their introduction in 1965 to their eventual demise in 1988, and their fidelity was more dependent on the.
History of the 8 track tape the following is quoted from the rise and fall of the 8 track excerpted from you really got me, a comprehensive history of the kinks, by doug hinman and jason brabazon. Cassettes never had the potential for dynamic range that8 track did but, in the real world consistently sounded better. Anyone who has visited a garage sale has likely seen boxes full of 8 track tapes. The compact cassette technology was originally designed for dictation machines, but improvements in fidelity led the compact cassette to supplant the stereo 8 track cartridge and reeltoreel tape recording in most nonprofessional applications. So, if youre old enough, cast your mind back 40 years or so. Thats why they reigned supreme for the better part of three decades before cds dethroned them. How does the sound quality of 8track tapes compare with cassettes. Their mission is to bring the 8track into the 21st century. Vintage10 lot of 8 track cassette tapes,assorted tested. Aug 02, 2016 car stereo tape adapters 8 track to cassette to mp3. My issue with 8 tracks is they always switch tracks in the middle of the best song if you have a lot maybe you could make a table or shelves. But what if you have a daw and an audio interface with 8 outs that send to the 8 inputs of the tape unit 388, you physically record to the reel. Jan 19, 2017 the 8 track cartridge, aka the stereo 8, first appeared at trade shows in 1964, just 18 months after the cassette, and it did initially seem to have it all.
The 8track cartridge, aka the stereo 8, first appeared at trade shows in 1964, just 18 months after the cassette, and it did initially seem to. The record the muchmaligned 8track tape is a thing of beauty for a new museum devoted to the format. Sure, 8track tape was twice as wide, but also had twice the dedicated tracks for the given width 2 channels for each of the 4 passes. See more ideas about 8 track tapes, childhood memories and the good old days. Mar 16, 2011 sure cylinder records cost a lot more to produce than an mp3, but in the 1960s1970s labels needed to produce albums on reel to reel, 8 track, 4 track, playtape, vinyl record, cassette tape. Anyone whos owned 8track decks knows where the book of matches goes. Cassettes were pitched as athome recording devices. Muntz, and a few other manufacturers, also offered 48 or 12 track players. The aes historical committee is an international forum open to all who wish to investigate and learn about the achievements of those pioneers whose innovative ideas and inventions have contributed to audios rich past.
Eight track tapes get a bad rap, routinely written off as the poorsounding, shortlived format between tapes made for reeltoreel players and the portable cartridges made for cassette decks. The difference is that 8tracks were marketed to play music. They automatically started playing as soon as they were inserted, and when they hit a metal strip, they would a. Check out fords 1966 mustang ad featuring a stereosonic tape player.
Yet, just over a decade later, the humble cassette tape was able to drive it to. One that ushered in the compact cassette age and the other that saw them out again 25 years later. However, the 8track worked well enough that it was widely adopted, which drove the prices of tapes down. How does the sound quality of 8track tapes compare with. An argument for bringing back minicds and 8track tapes electronic musicianslashgraphic designer trevor jackson is releasing his first recorded music in 14 years. The record the muchmaligned 8 track tape is a thing of beauty for a new museum devoted to the format. You would have to wedge a book of matches or something under the tape to keep the tape head lined up. Outside of the united kingdom, canada, and a few other nations, the use of 8 track technology was virtually unknown. Music hardware was large and unwieldy before tapes. I have owned the same music in 4 different formats vinyl, 8 track, cassette and cd.
Mark tidwell can repair most 8track tapes, even if they have been broken or eaten. Find great deals on ebay for 8 track cassette player and cassette and 8 track player. These magnetic tape sound recording devices predated cassette tapes. But eighttracks enjoyed a following from their introduction in 1965 to their eventual demise in 1988, and their fidelity was more dependent on the quality of the eighttrack deck they were. In 1964, lear developed the 8track as the lear jet stereo 8. But if you find a nice clean tascam 4 track with the 4 xlr inputs and line you are all set. The existing reeltoreel recorders were expensive and cumbersome to use. Oct 25, 2008 an eight track tape is just that, a 8 track tape. The 8tracks narrower tape tracks had poorer fidelity than stereopak, and the tape transport mechanism was more jamprone. Today a small but avid group of aficionados collect 8track cartridges and players. Music goes mobile with 8track tapes best classic bands. An argument for bringing back minicds and 8track tapes. Article by jason brabazon, on the 8 track heaven web site.
Nov 19, 2008 im actually talking about prerecorded music, official releases. David bowie the world of david bowie 8 track elton john lady samantha 8 track cassette cartridge tape w slip cover tracklist. Car stereo tape adapters 8track to cassette to mp3. Stand alone digital mixers or whatever are pure junk. The old matchbookunderthetape fix was done primarily because the worn capstan would no longer grip the tape and play it at the correct speed. Its heyday lasted about 20 years, from the early 60s into the early 80s. In the 1960s and early 70s, they were the way that. For example, if you went out in, say 1974 and bought abbey rd on both 8 track and cassette, which do you think would sound better not taking into account the 8 track switching tracks and did they have different mastering. Cassettes store sound on a magnetic tape wound around the two reels inside of it. Sep 25, 2015 by kristine schmucker, hchm curator today the 8track tape is considered a failure of technology, a laughable derelict from the seventies, but at one time these tapes were an important innovation. Younger generations may know of cassettes and cds, but what the heck are 8tracks. Valueyourmusic the 50 most valuable 8track cartridge. By 1982 8tracks are no longer sold at retail and only available via mail order record clubs. The compact cassette is a plastic case containing a spool of 3.
The last 8track offered by a record label is believed to be fleetwood macs greatest hits in 1988. In theory an 8 track tape could sound better than cassette, but because of the design of how you playback on the 8track for convenience, and formulation of the tape itself, you usually get a. The music industry is unforgiving, as anyone who still owns an eighttrack player and is brave enough to admit it knows. Dedicated to the preservation of over a century of audio history, the committee is developing a broadbased history of audio engineering and the audio industry. Car stereo tape adapters 8track to cassette to mp3 duration.
All of a sudden, you could listen to your music collection in your car, or outandabout with the new boomboxes. That was the draw for the cassette tape and the downfall for the 8 track tape. Cheap trick offered a limited 8track release of a 2009 album. Eighttrack tapes get a bad rap, routinely written off as the poorsounding, shortlived format between tapes made for reeltoreel players and the portable cartridges made for cassette decks. Additionally, those whod purchased a fairlane or mercury could add on a hangon tape. Finally, cassette tapes became more affordable and the quality was better longer. The audio cassette, also called the compact cassette or simply the tape, is a recording format that was first introduced in 1963 to fill a need in the then available audio recording media options. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, several new technologies were developed including the 4track tape, 8track tape and the play tape format. Free delivery and returns on ebay plus items for plus members. William powell lear, the man behind learjet, was also the inventor of the 8 track cartridge tape system.
Fourtrack and 8track cartridges coexisted on themarketplace for some time, with the 8track formateventually defeating by attrition its lookalike cousin beforein turn being overtaken by the cassette format. Contests, on this day rock history stories, classic videos, retrocharts and more. Anyhow i have an akai x 2000s that has reel to reel, cassette, and 8 track and just got it going the other day. The primary form of recorded music during my childhood was cassette tapes, but i havent listened to a tape in something like 25 years. The compact cassette is a bit larger than a credit card but much thicker.